Discovery of a Stubborn Truth
by Stariceling
Summary: If it was ever a choice between the brilliant Shinichi Kudo and the 'child' Conan Edogawa, Heiji would have no trouble zeroing in on the love of his life. But Conan wants to know how he can choose between the two knowing they are the same person. [yaoi]


Hello everyone. Before you begin reading, I would like to remind everyone that this fic does include yaoi (male/male love) and shades of shota (older male/young boy love). Please don't read this if you are deeply bothered by the possibility of Heiji/Conan and Conan/Heiji, because that will be explored here.

Also, note that I do not claim to own Detective Conan/Case Closed, nor am I making any monetary or material profit from this piece of fiction (all I get is my own enjoyment from writing it and the possible fulfillment that comes with a kind word or two).

With that out of the way, please read and enjoy!

* * *

"What are you doing?" 

Heiji had thought that was obvious. He shifted slightly so that he could see Shinichi's face without having to release him. His eyebrows were drawn slightly together in an expression of confusion instead of real anger. Well, as long as he wasn't already furious, Heiji thought it would be fun to go a bit further.

"Do you want an extra hint?" Heiji nuzzled behind Shinichi's ear, brushing his lips against skin without really kissing him. It occurred to him that Shinichi might be furious in a minute, and just too started to fight him off. He waited for an angry exclamation, but all he got was a slight gasp.

Encouraged, Heiji gathered his friend closer, locking his arm around Shinichi's waist and planting a playful kiss on his cheek. Heiji was surprised to see a flush on Shinichi's cheeks, and to feel, as well as hear, his breath quicken. He made an odd little noise in his throat as Heiji squeezed him.

Heiji swallowed hard, finding himself surprisingly turned on. He had only wanted to grab a hug while Shinichi was suddenly himself again, but with this kind of encouragement he couldn't resist going for more. He brushed their noses together before planting a soft peck against Shinichi's lips. At least, he meant it to be soft and quick, but once he had gotten his kiss he couldn't pull away. He hadn't expected the other boy's mouth to be so hot. He wanted to melt into his friend's lips and never pull back. . .

Shinichi braced both hands on Heiji's chin and shoved him away. "Hattori! I don't have time for that!"

"Ow. . ." Heiji rubbed his chin with one hand, shooting his friend a wounded look. He still had one arm around him, and was surprised Shinichi hadn't already squirmed away if he was that mad. It took him a minute to realize that Shinichi was still breathing hard, his face flushed and sweaty. The little signs that Heiji had taken for excitement now seemed more like the symptoms of an acute and serious fever.

"Why are you here!? Where is Ran?"

"What's wrong with you?" Heiji pressed one hand to Shinichi's forehead. This wasn't just a fever, Shinichi was truly burning up. Yet he had seemed fine when Heiji first grabbed him. How could he not have noticed it before? This was similar to what had happened the first time he saw Shinichi in his real body, and he was sure it could only get worse. "Is it because you grew back up?"

"I'll explain later! Just tell me where Ran is." He finally stepped back, out of Heiji's arms, and Heiji had to fight down the urge to grab Shinichi back against his chest.

"Out shopping with Kazuha. I offered to babysit you," it was a sign of just how much pain Shinichi had to be in that he didn't even react to such an embarrassing statement. Heiji wasn't about to tell Shinichi exactly where they were and have him go rushing off in that state, but he didn't have to. Shinichi took one look at the sale advertisements the girls had been looking through before they left and started toward the door.

Before he could even get out the door, Shinichi had to stop, clutching the doorframe with one hand and his chest with the other. His sharp gasp of pain was too much fro Heiji to ignore. Last time he had seen Shinichi so sick, he'd had no idea what to do. Now he considered Shinichi his friend as much as his rival, and there was no way he would let Shinichi out of his sight in that condition.

Heiji grabbed Shinichi and hoisted him up into his arms before he could get the door open. "You're not going anywhere, Kudo. Let go of the door. I'm not gonna let you go!" Heiji got a knee in the face for his trouble, but he wasn't going to drop Shinichi now. Even if his friend hated him for it later, he would do what needed to be done. And what needed to be done right now was to keep Shinichi from rushing out when he could hardly stay upright.

"Look, even if I gave you a ride, it'd take twenty minutes to get to them. Do you really think you have twenty minutes?"

"Put me down!"

The logic Heiji was trying to force on him only seemed to make Shinichi more furious, so Heiji switched to sarcasm, running on his own stubborn anger. "What are you going to say to her, anyway? Oh, hi, I have a total crush on you, and don't worry, I probably won't keel over an' die right here!"

That apparently won out over panic. Shinichi had stopped struggling in earnest, but he was still pushing ineffectively at Heiji's shoulders. "Shut up! And put me down, you're too hot."

Even his half-hearted fighting paused long enough for him to tense for a few seconds, breathing hard through clenched teeth. Whatever had happened left him panting and limp, which Heiji didn't like at all. Having Shinichi kick up a ruckus might be annoying, but having him go limp and silent was more of a horror.

He said it was too hot? Heiji could feel even through Shinichi's clothes that his fever was climbing dangerously. He did the first thing he could think of, hauling his friend into the bathroom and turning the shower on cold. At this point the possibility of shock didn't seem as deadly as whatever was making his friend tense in spasms of pain.

Heiji stepped under the spray, still holding Shinichi in his arms. The water felt cool at first, but it quickly became downright frigid as it soaked right through his clothes. At the same time, he could have sworn he saw steam rising from Shinichi's body. He clutched the other boy close, even less willing to let go as Shinichi went limp and quiet against his chest.

Closing his eyes tightly, Heiji tried not to start shivering. If he could have taken any of that pain on himself, he would have done it without a second thought. Even though Shinichi had apparently passed out, making him unable to feel any more of what his body was going through.

After a moment, Heiji became aware that the body clamped tight in his arms didn't seem quite so heavy. The shoulders his arm was wrapped around weren't as broad as they should be, and the arms and legs tangled over his arms seemed smaller and more frail by the second. When he opened his eyes again the face in front of his was a little rounder, more childish, and more importantly, no longer closed off in pain.

It happened so gradually that Heiji couldn't see the change. He could only feel it happening as Shinichi shrunk in his arms. One moment he was holding Shinichi Kudo, a teen about his size who lay heavy in his arms. The next he had a young child in his arms, one who seemed much more fragile than he should have simply because of what he had just gone through. Conan.

A moment later, Conan opened one eye wearily and looked up at him. Heiji felt his own pulse quicken, because there was no doubting the strength and intelligence that had somehow been retained and captured in that tiny body. For a moment he had been afraid. . . but there was no doubting that those were the same, sharp eyes that Heiji knew saw through everything. They certainly seemed to be looking through Heiji right now.

"Thank you."

Heiji shook his head, reaching up to turn off the shower, since they were both soaked through, and Shinichi's unnatural fever had disappeared almost as quickly as it had come. What did he deserve thanking for? Not letting Shinichi run out in that condition? He probably would have realized it was futile in a moment, anyway.

"That didn't hurt nearly so much as it usually. . ." Conan stopped, looking away. As if admitting his obvious agony in words was somehow shameful.

Heiji held Conan up, shifting him so that his hands gripped the boy firmly under the arms. He studied Conan, wanting to inspect him for flaws as he might a scrap of paper held up to the light. He didn't see anything wrong other than the sudden change in size, which made the pants Shinichi had been wearing slide right down Conan's skinny legs and flop to the floor. "Are you really okay?"

"Apart from the obvious, yes."

Heiji wanted to laugh at the absurdity of the situation. As long as his friend wasn't in pain, the whole world suddenly felt a bit brighter. He hugged Conan to his chest and exclaimed, "You're just travel sized now!"

That earned him a sharp smack on the head, but Heiji didn't care. He would rather have Shinichi tiny but whole and well over being tall and good-looking in his normal body, but in horrible pain. There was no question about that. "What the hell happened to you? Why didn't you tell me that might just happen for no reason?" Would it happen again when Heiji wasn't there to help?

"It's not random, no." Conan crossed his arms, thinking. "The first time I think it was something in the liquor you gave me. Dr. Agasa was trying to make a drug that could replicate the effects, but it barely lasted long enough for me to get over here."

"Idiot." Heiji didn't like the idea of Conan messing around with his body when it hurt him so badly. "Next time, you tell me so I can be here to take care of ya when it goes wrong!"

"You're the idiot." Conan looked away, his face glowing pink again. Heiji touched his forehead to check for fever, but he seemed fine. If anything, he was shivering a bit.

"Let me get you some dry clothes." Heiji set Conan down at last and started to unbutton his damp shirt. To his surprise, Conan squeaked and pushed his hands away.

"What are you doing?"

This was the second time Shinichi. . . now Conan, had demanded to know something Heiji thought should be obvious. It was making him worry. Could his friend have hit his head or something? He usually didn't demand to be told the completely obvious because he was fine figuring it out himself. "You're soaked, Kudo. I don't want you to catch a cold."

"I can dress myself." Conan took a quick step back and started to deal with the wet shirt himself. Now he really was starting to shiver.

"I want to help you." Heiji grabbed a large, fluffy towel from outside the bath area and wrapped it around Conan as soon as he had his shirt off. Gently, he rubbed Conan's body through the towel to dry him, at least until Conan pushed him off.

"Stop it! P-pervert. Leave me alone and go get some dry clothes for yourself!"

Heiji felt his own face go hot, and now he had a good idea why Conan really blushing this time, not being affected by the fever. But he hadn't done anything perverted. He wouldn't! Heiji held up his hands, trying to ward of the accusation.

"I didn't do anything to you!"

"You kissed me!"

And he wished he could have done it more than once. . . "That was different! I mean, you weren't a kid then, I would never-"

"I'm still the same person and you know it! You _kissed_ me. Just don't touch me!"

Heiji planted both hands on the floor to steady himself before he could fall over in embarrassment. "I was just so happy to see you. I didn't think you were adverse to what I was doing, so. . ." Conan was glaring at him, which made Heiji laugh weakly. How Kudo managed to muster such a venomous look on such a cute face still amazed him.

"Okay, I admit I've wanted to do that for a long time. Just to hold you, as yourself. I mean, in your own body. I wouldn't'a gone so far as to kiss you if I'd realized you were feeling sick. I'm not gonna do anything perverted to you when you're like this. I mean, not like I'll still do it if you don't want me to, but definitely not when you're stuck as a kid! I swear!"

"So you're only interested in my body when I'm myself?"

"No! Don't be such an idiot! When have I even seen you as yourself to fall for you, huh?" Heiji tried to avoid the new accusation, feeling that he should have just settled for giving Shinichi a pat on the back or something when he saw him. "I just. . . when you make that face when you're thinking, and the way your eyes scan a room and see everything, it give me chills. And should you know you have a bad attitude sometimes, it makes you kinda fun to talk to," Heiji knew he was babbling. Everything wonderful about Kudo was already wrapped up in that tiny package, but the body that now contained everything he loved was too tiny and precious to touch!

"I'm not gonna molest you," Heiji managed to say, after a few deep breaths. "I. . . it won't feel right unless you can give as good as you get." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, because that was not what he meant to say at all. Yet, he wanted Shinichi to be able to push him down if he wanted to, or give him a good kick in the ribs if he tried to go too far. Better to be as equal in body as they were in mind.

After a moment, Heiji rubbed his jaw where Shinichi had gotten him with his knee instead. He really did like it better that way, even though his jaw would probably ache in the morning. And that much was more than worth it for that one heated kiss.

To his surprise, Conan's glare let up, just a little. "I'm not going to forgive you for that." He took a few steps across the damp floor, the over-large towel trailing behind him. He reached up and placed one small hand on Heiji's cheek before kissing him lightly on the jaw, right where he had been hit. "Not until you kiss me so that I can enjoy it."

"Sorry." Heiji ruffled Conan's hair, feeling relieved. That was the kind of penance he liked. It might take a while for him to do it, but it would eventually be not only possible, but fun. Even if he had to wait a decade to give those kisses without Shinichi being in pain or Conan being too young to touch.

"So. . . you're not going to molest me in my sleep or anything."

"Of course not!" Though, as Conan inched over towards his mouth, Heiji started wondering if it would be so bad if he let Conan kiss him. After all, if you thought in terms of mind and maturity, Conan was no child. If he was old enough to know what he wanted, and he made up his mind he wanted Heiji, would it be all bad to let him get his way? Stealing kisses was different from letting them be stolen, right. . . ?

"Conan-kun? Where are you?" Ran's voice broke the mood instantly.

Heiji jumped to his feet, flinging the clothes Shinichi had worn into the hamper, though they were still soaked. He picked Conan up, towel and all and looked around frantically with no idea what he should do with him.

Unfortunately the sudden movement made his wet socks skid on the tile floor so that he fell sideways against the wall with a loud 'thump!' At least he managed to keep his grip on Conan and not drop him on the hard floor.

The noise of his fall led Ran right to the bathroom, where she knocked on the door. "Are you okay in there?"

"Um. . . sure." Heiji looked around frantically before realizing that there were no clothes in the room that would fit Conan. His own bag was still outside, so there was no hope of dry clothes for him either. "I was just helping Conan take a bath, and I kinda forgot to bring in some fresh clothes for him," he invented.

Heiji recognized the sound of Kazuha's voice as she said something to Ran that he couldn't quite catch. But he really didn't mind the fact that he would be teased about what a bad babysitter he was. Conan had apparently made up his mind not to hate him if the quick, stealthy kiss on his collarbone was any indication.

"Just a minute." Heiji put Conan down, and shared one last serious look with him as he heard quick whispers outside the door. Conan gave him a little smirk. He wouldn't tell, obviously, but Heiji got the feeling that he would have to answer for his confession later. That thought, far from filling him with dread, made a guilty sort of hot excitement settle in his bones.

Then Ran opened the door, holding a small bundle of clothes, and gave him a puzzled look.

"Why are you all wet?"

"Well, that's sort of," Heiji had no idea what to say. He was usually good at thinking up stupid cover stories on the fly, but Conan's hand on the back of his knee was making him nervous. Did this look really bad, or was he only thinking that because he knew what they had just been talking about?

"I sprayed Heiji-niichan with the showerhead."

Conan had somehow transformed from a tough, logical teen who happened to be trapped in a tiny body, to a guilty first-grader in the moment Heiji had looked away. He looked up at Ran with wide eyes, hugging the towel around him. "I'm sorry."

"Conan-kun! I can't believe you would do that!"

Heiji put one hand on Conan's head, ignoring the sharp glance the action earned him. "It's okay. He's usually such a good kid, it was kind of funny." Honestly he was just glad to have Shinichi there, in whatever form, after what had just happened. Conan was actually hanging on to his knee now, apparently trying to hide from his scolding.

It was short work to get dry clothes once Heiji got a hold of his bag. Though this prompted an argument that took the attention away from how naughty Conan had supposedly been when the girls saw how the clothes had been shoved in at the bottom until they were completely crumpled and creased. ("How many years have you been carrying those around for? I swear, they're all dusty!" "Shut up! At least I don't have to buy fresh clothes every time I go somewhere." "At least I know better than to take a shower with my clothes on!")

By the time the door was closed, Heiji was cold and more than ready to strip of his wet clothes so he could towel off. Well, he didn't regret the soaking he had gotten if it really did make that fever or transformation or whatever it was less painful, but he wished he had thought to get his dry clothes while arguing with Conan.

He caught Conan glancing up at him when he took his shirt off, but didn't comment. He looked away in pretend modesty, glad to let Conan gaze all he wanted as he slid his way out of his wet jeans. He ended up having to squirm out of them, they were so soaked, which made him feel rather undignified.

"Showoff."

Heiji grinned and toweled his hair off without comment. So what if Conan knew he wanted to be peeked at. He also wanted to return the favor someday, though he was more eager for the firm, strong body he had briefly held against him than for the soft skin he knew was quickly being covered up now.

Suddenly feeling frustrated again, Heiji let out a little sigh. He couldn't lie and say he didn't have a preference when it came to Shinichi's body, though even now there were hints of just how 'Conan' would grow up to look. He couldn't help it if he liked strong things better than fragile things.

"Hey, Kudo. Ran's really going to be the first priority if you're able to turn back, huh?"

Conan was blushing again. Heiji turned away and pulled on dry underwear (he really had been soaked right through), trying give him a minute to think. Though he doubted Conan really needed that moment, it was courtesy. Even though he was obviously in bad shape, Shinichi had been ready to go running out looking for Ran, just to have a few seconds to talk to her.

"Of course." Conan shot him a look as Heiji was pulling up his pants and looked away just as quickly. "I haven't gotten to talk to her in a long time. You know that."

Heiji made a dissatisfied noise in his throat before he could stop himself. "You call her a lot more than you call me." It wasn't until the words were out that he realized he sounded like a jealous girlfriend, nagging Shinichi not to look at other women.

"So? I can talk to you anytime, face-to-face. Besides, you got to be the center of attention both times I've been able to change back, didn't you? Don't be so selfish."

That made sense. If what Shinichi really wanted was to be himself for a minute, there was no need to turn himself back for Heiji, who he could talk to normally at any time. Now Heiji couldn't decide if he was glad he could be some comfort, or annoyed that Shinichi didn't want to return to his old body for his sake.

To compromise, Heiji leaned down and hugged Conan again. He didn't try to kiss him, but just whispered, "If you have any time left over, come talk to me? I'd be glad to hold you again until it stops hurting, Kudo."

"St-stop that! You're giving me goosebumps." Conan pushed on Heiji's bare chest until he let go. He was across the room before Heiji had time to do more than pick up his dry shirt, not leaving anything even resembling a promise for Heiji to hold him to. That was fine. Heiji hadn't expected him to agree, anyway.

Conan had to stand on his toes to reach the doorknob, but once he had the door half-open he glanced back at Heiji, who was still standing there holding his shirt, and smiled.

"Next time can we come visit you, Heiji-niichan?"

Something in those deep eyes made Heiji's cheeks grow warm again. How he could be getting it from a child a third his size, that feeling that Shinichi was looking right through him, he had no idea. It made him wonder how he could have ever failed to realize who Conan really was.

"Of course." Conan could have practically anything he wanted. If it wasn't enough that he was Heiji's precious friend, all it took was one of those looks and Heiji was smitten. . .

Heiji found his thought interrupted by Ran's voice as Conan scampered out, leaving him half-dressed and a little dazed. "What are you doing?"

* * *

Should I be apologizing for the abrupt ending...? Well, it was that or wander off on a tangent that had little or nothing to do with the subject at hand. I have at least one (probably two) more chapter(s) in the works for this fic, so if you got this far: y'all come back now, y'hear? I shall do my best not to disappoint. 


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